Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Whether you’re spending time with the family, hanging our at home or working, I genuinely hope you got to enjoy the holiday. There were some good games lined up for “Turkey Day,” but let’s look at the leftovers left on the main slate for Sunday. There are 10 games to pull from. So, with that, it’s time to take a look and pick who could help you blow up the NFL DFS slate.
(NFL DFS salaries courtesy of DraftKings)
Week 13 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
Quarterback
Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) | $6,600
The year of Baker Mayfield continues, and it’s been an absolute delight for fantasy football. Through 12 weeks, Mayfield is sitting as the QB3. He’s averaging a whopping 25.3 points per game with an offense that is rolling. Another full week back of a healthy Mike Evans should help that continue. So far, Mayfield has only had two weeks in which he scored sub-18 points (Weeks 3 and 10). This week, his matchup should be one worth targeting.
The Tampa Buccaneers face the Carolina Panthers, who have been more than forgiving to fantasy quarterbacks. Currently, they rank as the fifth-easiest matchup this season. With allowing an average of 21.9 points per game and opposing quarterbacks scoring nearly four points over expectation, it is hard to argue. Mayfield is an excellent choice this week for NFL DFS lineups.
Running Back
Kyren Williams (Los Angeles Rams) | $7,200
Kyren Williams started the fantasy season on fire. The Rams running back scored a touchdown in his first seven games. Since then, he’s gone a tad quiet. Though he did find the end zone last week against the Philadelphia Eagles, it was a sub-13 Points Per Reception (PPR) fantasy point performance. That changes this week. Think of this as a “get-right game” for Williams, who has a juicy matchup against the New Orleans Saints.
The Rams are favored in this one by three, and though that’s not a lot, it does trend toward running the ball more. Williams is the X-factor in the run game, and he should have more than enough opportunities to produce. The Saints give up a ton of points to opposing running backs. The exact number is 24.3 NFL DFS points per game. That number ranks them as the fifth-easiest matchup. Save your salary with Williams if you don’t want to spend up on Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry.
Wide Receiver
Michael Pittman Jr. (Indianapolis Colts) | $5,200
There is one major component to this pick come Sunday morning. That lies on the shoulder(s) of wide receiver Josh Downs. The former North Carolina Tar Heel left the game this past week with a shoulder injury and was seen wincing in pain. As of publication, the reports suggest he wasn’t practicing as of Thursday. If that is the case, Michael Pittman Jr. steps into a chance to be an absolute target hog. Since Anthony Richardson got the starting role back, Pittman Jr. has been much better. In the last two games, he has 15 total targets. If Downs misses, he should get more.
The big thing here is that Pittman Jr. won’t only get more opportunities for the ball, but he will also face a poor New England secondary. The Patriots have been extremely civil with opposing wide receivers, allowing 30.6 fantasy points per game to the position so far this season. Pittman Jr. could be in store for a massive day.
Tight End
Taysom Hill (New Orleans Saints) | $5,000
He is Taysom Hill, and he is inevitable. Whether Hill is lining up behind center, in the backfield, spread out or as an in-line tight end, it doesn’t matter. The New Orleans Saints’ coaching staff loves Hill, and in their last game, he showed why. Hill scored an insane 46.5 NFL DFS points. Whether it was gaining it on the ground or through the air, Hill is the Swiss Army knife of the Saints and shouldn’t be ignored.
Not only is he being used an insane amount, but the Los Angeles Rams have been terrible against tight ends. They’re the eighth-easiest matchup for the position. That’s metrics against normal tight ends. Now throw in Hill, who isn’t your average tight end, and the world could be in store for another whopper of a game.
Defense/Special Teams
Houston Texans D/ST | $3,500
The Houston Texans’ defense has been on fire the last few weeks. In their recent two contests, they’ve scored 19 points each, with five takeaways and two touchdowns. This week, the Texans face a Jacksonville team that seems to be spiraling down a rabbit hole of destruction.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson has been quoted as saying that he’s “Made some in-house changes.” What will those changes amount to? That’s the big question. But, the matter of the fact is that the Texans’ defense is hungry. They should have a solid chance at continuing their dominance against their division rival in Week 13.
Check out all of our Week 13 fantasy football content:
- Fantasy Football Whiplash! | Week 13 News & Notes (2024)
- Week 13 Fantasy Football Advice Mailbag (2024)
- Week 13 NFL DFS Picks & Lineup Advice (2024)
- Week 13 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)
- Week 13 In the Scope Targets (2024)
- PropKings: NFL Week 13 (2024)
Thanks for reading my Week 13 NFL DFS picks! Check out more of our fantasy football and other written content here at In-Between Media, or head over to our YouTube channel to get your fix via video.
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*Photo Credit: Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports*
